Price controls...long lines at the pumps?

[Dees]

Does controlling gasoline prices by the fed result in larger consumption? Or maybe scarce product? I'm not sure what price controls would do to refining, etc.
I can't help remembering JFK and US Steel in the 60's. Of course Nixon's half assed attempt at wage and price controls failed miserably. Free market dogmatists HATE the idea of federal controls. Shouldn't somebody stand up to Big Oil in the face of their (oil companies) obscene profits until we get a fix on alternative energy?

What do you think?

[mhr]

1. With Bush In Charge It Will Never Happen

Now whether it should is a much different story.

Basically we are screwed because there is no bi-partisanship support left in DC for anything but an extreme agenda.

The only thing that might change the dynamic is mass protests. However, the sheeple seem unwilling to do anything other than watch more TV.

[MADem]

2. How about the other side of the coin, rationing?

Remember even-odd? People getting gas STOLEN? That was the birth of locking gas caps, and then, some sumbitch would poke a hole in the tank and drain the gas from below into a pan!

Some clever fart came up with a giant plastic hypodermic needle type device so you could suction out gas from your 'even' car to your 'odd' car.

Of course, with self-serve gas, that system wouldn't cut it nowadays. They'd have to go to coupons or something. Then people would steal those!

[mcscajun]

5. I remember all of that...and fights on the lines.

Imagine that breaking out now? With the increase in "road rage" and folks shooting each other on highways for stupid, senseless, inane things?

:shudder:

[Dees]

3. Here's a little something I dont quite understand.

I have read a number of times that for every dollar increase in crude you can expect the retail price to jump by 2.5 cents. In this latest round of spikes there is some very damn fuzzy math going on.

[HamdenRice]

6. They are measured in different units

Crude is measured in barrels. Gas is measured in gallons. There are 42 gallons to the barrel.

So $1.00/ 42 = about 2.4 cents

This is just a rough estimate and assumes that all costs are directly passed on to consumers, that there are no other cost effects of higher crude prices, and that oil companies do not use the rising price of crude to gauge consumers.

[natrat]

4. i got some news for ya --there is no fix

sorry


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